Benjamin Sesko played the late hero as Manchester United struck again in stoppage time, edging Fulham 3-2 on Sunday to extend Michael Carrick’s dream start at Old Trafford.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa’s unlikely title push took another hit, beaten 1-0 at home by 10-man Brentford.
Sesko comes clutch
United’s revival under Carrick gathered real momentum with a third straight league win, lifting them back into the top four ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool. And just like last week’s dramatic 3-2 win at Arsenal, this one came wrapped in chaos, quality — and a last-gasp finish.
Casemiro set the tone in 19 minutes, rising to meet Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick for the opener. The Brazilian was involved again soon after, teeing up Matheus Cunha, who still had work
to do before unleashing a fierce strike past Bernd Leno.
Fulham, beaten only once in their previous eight league games, refused to fold. Raul Jiménez converted a late penalty to halve the deficit, and Kevin’s stunning long-range effort moments later looked to have snatched a point.
United, though, weren’t done.
Straight from the restart, Fernandes slid a pass into Sesko, who spun sharply and rifled a sensational winner into the top corner, sending Old Trafford into raptures. Another comeback conceded. Another late rescue completed. Carrick-ball is very much alive.
Villa’s title dream stalls again
At Villa Park, Aston Villa’s hopes of keeping pace with leaders Arsenal suffered a second straight home setback.
Brentford stunned Unai Emery’s side despite playing over half the match with 10 men after Kevin Schade was sent off for kicking out at Matty Cash before half-time. Moments later, the Bees struck decisively, Dango Ouattara blasting in from a tight angle in stoppage time.
Villa laid siege after the break but lacked the cutting edge. Tammy Abraham thought he’d marked his return with a debut goal, only for VAR to rule the ball out of play in the build-up.
The defeat leaves Villa’s title charge wobbling badly.
Palace still stuck in neutral
Crystal Palace also missed a golden chance to pull clear of danger, drawing 1-1 at Nottingham Forest.
Morgan Gibbs-White fired Forest ahead early, but Neco Williams’ red card for handling on the line turned the tide. Ismaila Sarr converted the resulting penalty, yet Palace still couldn’t find a winner.
They remain winless in 12 games, hovering just three points above Forest, with nerves starting to creep in.
(with AFP inputs)
